


That Thing

by morrezela



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Didn't Know They Were Dating, M/M, POV Dean Winchester, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 11:29:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4433831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morrezela/pseuds/morrezela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean isn’t good at being a boyfriend. Or… realizing that he is a boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Very much not mine. Sam, Dean and all the Supernatural crew belong to the CW and the crazed mind of Eric Kripke. I’m making nothing off this.
> 
> Warnings: Wincest
> 
> A/N: This is for my Valentine’s Day fic meme.
> 
> All mistakes you find are my own.

Dean can admit that his is a jerk. It is actually a point of pride for him most days. He’s the rough, tough and fluff-less brother, and it is part of “them” just as much as it is a part of “him.” So, yeah, he hasn’t spent a lot of time thinking about the whole _thing_ that he’s got going with Sam.

It isn’t that he’s mean or selfish about it. He’s a good lover. His technique is fucking outstanding, and he always makes certain that Sam has a good time.

 Just because he also gets his rocks off pretty damn hard, he doesn’t think that should count against the points he earns for giving Sam awesome orgasms. Sam hardly ever got any before they started releasing each other’s steam, and Dean is a great guy for dreaming up their current arrangement.

Whenever one of them feels that the old urge is getting a little too urgent, all either of them has to do is make a little move, and it ends in immediate sexual gratification. They screw, fuck and suck their way to satisfaction and take a good, hearty nap afterwards. Dean knows that Sam likes his cuddles, and he does his best to give Sam what he wants when it’s not normally his thing. Hell, Dean even makes sure that he’s always the one to do the cleanup and get them over to the other bed for wet spot free snooze-cuddling.

Everybody gets what they want, right?

Apparently the answer to that is, “No, Dean. You’re a moron.” At least, Dean thinks that is what the prissy mouth pinching, eye squinting, forehead wrinkling thing is about. He has to interpret Sam’s reactions because Sam isn’t actually saying anything with his mouth, but Sammy has rarely needed words to communicate his displeasure. Oh, he uses them. He uses them a lot because Sam likes his words, but that doesn’t mean that he needs them anymore than Dean needs to use his favorite gun on a hunt.

Sam has been distant lately. He’s taken to long silences after they get up in the morning and sad expressions when he catches Dean giving an appreciative leer towards a fine looking woman. Sam had almost had an apoplexy when Dean tried to point out the fine looking specimen of a dude working at the construction site that they’d been surveying for a poltergeist, and that guy had totally been Sam’s type. Dean had only been trying to be helpful.

Despite some people’s assertions, Dean isn’t completely clueless. He notices things. His life, and more importantly, his brother’s life depends on his observation skills. More than that, he is an expert in all things Sammy. Just because he likes to deny and repress and pretend in the hopes that situations will just magically get better, that doesn’t mean that Dean misses it when Sam’s getting all fussy and evasive.

Sam shot past evasive straight into worrisome territory days ago. He’s been taking advantage of their little arrangement more often than he normally does, and he’s clingy afterwards. Once or twice, he has tried giving Dean a hug. That is just disturbing at the deepest level that Dean can imagine. They don’t hug unless one of them has died or very nearly died recently.

At first, Dean thought that maybe Sam had brokered a deal with a demon and was dying. It has been known to happen, and while Dean most certainly would blame Sam for being stupid, it wouldn’t have been a new scenario for either of them. But after careful observation, it appeared that Sam hadn’t fallen off the demon bandwagon, and portents of doom weren’t following them around like lost puppy dogs.

So Dean is forced to admit that whatever is bothering Sam probably isn’t something supernatural. He hates that conclusion, because it means that whatever Sam is worrying about, there is a good chance it features his relationship with Dean.

More specifically, Sam is worrying about their thing that they’re doing together. It has to be what is bugging him, and much as Dean would like to not have to think about or quantify it, he’s going to have to do it. Sam is all he’s ever really had. Well, Sam and his Baby, but Sam doesn’t like being lumped together with the car, so Dean does his best to adhere to Sam’s wishes in that department.

It doesn’t take Dean long to figure out the problem. Sam has been very affectionate as of late. He’s tried to give Dean a kiss in public and has touched his hand and done all sorts of Sam-like things that mean that he’s got his heart set on something normal. Well, not normal because Dean is his big brother, and that shit isn’t ever going to be normal, but the whole lovey-dovey thing is so Sam that it’s almost painful.

Dean isn’t going to lie to himself over it. He can’t undo his noticing of Sam’s behavior, and the conclusions that he draws from it aren’t going to change. Sam thinks that they’re together-together. Sam thinks that he’s Dean’s boyfriend. Sam is going to keep getting butt hurt every time that Dean catches the scenic view because that is just the way that Sam is.

There are two options. The first is that Dean can break Sam’s heart. The second is that he can lower his pride. It isn’t really a choice. Dean’s fatal flaw is that he loves Sam too much, and loving a guy too much is a piss poor excuse for breaking up with him.

Or not starting up with him in the first place. Dean guesses that depends on whose definition of their relationship that they’re using. He supposes that they are going to use Sam’s because admitting to Sam that he didn’t realize that they were doing the whole dating thing would be highly inconvenient for Dean’s sex life.

It wouldn’t be disastrous. They’ve forgiven each other too much for it to be the thing that would break them apart. But Dean knows enough about romance to know that a little oil here and there helps the cogs moving smoothly, and a little dirt can make a gigantic mess.

Bottom line is that he isn’t going to admit that he was missing the clue bus, and because of that he’s going to have to do some major groveling. Sam is going to think that Dean has been being a jerk on purpose. Or he’ll see right through Dean’s attempts at hiding his ignorance, but that would be okay because Dean still won’t have to admit to it. Denial is a comfortable thing for him, especially when Sam knows the truth. Life is just so much easier when Sam figures things out, but Dean doesn’t have to talk about his stupidity or his feelings.

It’s February - the time of hearts and roses and all of that stuff that Dean has never been made to suffer through before. He’s done worse for Sam than brave a candy store though, so he trucks in and out as fast as possible. In truth, he just grabs the first gigantic box of sweets that he sees and blushes through buying it like some gigantic sap.

Thankfully, there is a disaffected teenager at the register who could care less that Dean is acting like a teenage girl. The embarrassment is minimal, which is good. Sam will have enough mortifying things to say once Dean gives him his gift. It’ll either be sour, rejected lover pouting or excited, mushy lover cooing. Either way it is going to be awkward.

The things Dean does for his brother. Seriously.

Sam doesn’t look up from the computer when Dean comes back from his shopping trip. He makes Dean clear his throat three times before he unglues his eyes from the screen, but the surprise on his face is worth it when Dean thrusts the box of chocolates and card at him.

The card was a last minute addition that Dean shoplifted from the gas station in addition to what he legitimately purchased. Baby had needed fuel, and Dean had already paid the cashier for his gasoline and jerky. Besides, the card had been on sale anyway. It was saved from a direct trip to the recycling center.

Sam’s face slowly morphs from surprise to puzzlement before he asks, “What is this?”

Dean bites back his irritation at Sam baiting him. “It’s a, you know,” he answers uncomfortably, making a vague hand gesture like it will help elaborate.

“Um, no?” Sam says back.

Frowns are not good for boyfriend wooing, so Dean restrains himself from scowling. Of course Sam is going to make him say it. Sam is big on voicing feelings out loud. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Dean says. It’s a bit strained, but Dean figures he merits some consideration for the effort he put in.

“Dean,” Sam says slowly, “that was over a week ago.”

“President’s Day?” Dean says, trying to salvage the situation.

Sam shakes his head.

“Washington’s birthday?” Dean asks desperately.

“Dude,” Sam admonishes, “have you completely lost track of the days?”

“Jackass,” Dean accuses.

Sam smiles and shakes his head like he thinks that there is no hope in the world for his brother, but there is a tiny, pleased smile tugging at the edge of his lips. His stupidly long neck is starting to flush, and Dean knows that before long those still adorable dimples are going to make an appearance. Dean’s gift might be epically late, but Sam knows what it means. And Sammy is totally pleased by it. Dean can tell.

He is so going to get lucky tonight.


End file.
